ENGINE SPHERE
Cars→BMW M2 CS (F87)
Engine Sphere · Car
Catalogued Entry No. 006

BMW M2 CS (F87)

BMWMANUFACTURER
BMW M2 CS (F87)MODEL
Key Person Unknown
BMW M2 CS (F87)

BMW M2 CS F87 — compact 450…

Era

2020–2021

Country

Germany

Manufacturer

BMWMANUFACTURER

Model

M2

Variant

CS

Generation

F87

Engine Type

3.0L Twin-Turbo Inline-6

Engine

S55

Power

331 kW / 450 hp

Transmission

6-speed manual; 7-speed M DCT dual-clutch

Layout

RWD Front-Engine

Body Style

Coupe

Overview

What is it?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is a rear-wheel-drive compact M coupe powered by the S55 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six producing 331 kW / 450 hp and 550 Nm.

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is the sharpened final movement of the first-generation M2. It takes the already serious M2 Competition, gives it more power, carbon-fibre body elements, adaptive suspension, Cup tyres, and a choice that now feels precious: six-speed manual or seven-speed M DCT. BMW positioned the M2 CS above the M2 Competition as the first exclusive limited-run BMW M special-edition model in the premium compact class. The factory specification lists 331 kW / 450 hp, 550 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds with M DCT or 4.2 seconds with the manual, and a 280 km/h top speed with the standard M Driver’s Package.
↓ Read deeper
The F87 M2 CS matters because it captures BMW M at a rare point of balance. It is small by modern M standards, rear-wheel drive, available with a manual gearbox, powered by a real M engine, and still usable enough to drive across town without theatre. It is not a homologation car in the old sense, but it has a motorsport shadow. BMW described it as the basis for the M2 CS Racing, the company’s entry point into amateur racing and the Clubsport segment from 2020. For Engine Sphere, the M2 CS is not merely a faster M2. It is the compact BMW M formula brought to a very high polish: straight-six, rear drive, short wheelbase, carbon details, manual availability, and the quiet knowledge that this kind of M car is becoming harder to build.
Origin & Context

Where did it come from?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) was introduced in 2019 as the limited-run high-performance version of the first-generation M2.

The M2 lineage began as a compact answer to BMW M’s oldest instinct: place a strong engine in a small rear-drive body, give the driver real control, and let proportion do much of the magic. The original F87 M2 carried that spirit; the M2 Competition made it more serious with the S55 engine; the M2 CS became the farewell specification. BMW’s 2019 press kit presented the M2 CS as a limited-run model positioned above the M2 Competition and linked it to the success of the M3 CS and M4 CS.
↓ Read deeper
The “CS” letters matter. Competition Sport, in BMW language, does not mean a stripped racing special. It means a more focused road car with track credibility, improved hardware, and carefully selected weight-saving elements. The M2 CS arrived just as the first-generation M2 era was nearing its close. That timing gave the car a valedictory quality. BMW did not reinvent the F87 platform; it distilled it. Its origin is therefore less dramatic than an F40 or NSX, but deeply important within BMW culture. The M2 CS is a small car made serious by the same company that once gave the world the 2002 Turbo, E30 M3, 1 Series M Coupe, and compact rear-drive M mythology.
Design

How was it designed?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) uses the F87 M2 coupe body with CS-specific CFRP bonnet, CFRP roof, exposed-carbon splitter, rear diffuser, Gurney spoiler, and exclusive Misano Blue metallic launch paint.

The M2 CS design does not try to disguise its base car. It remains compact, upright, muscular, and recognisably F87. The difference is in the tension of the details: carbon roof, vented bonnet, exposed carbon aero, forged wheels, red brake callipers, Cup tyres, and that vivid Misano Blue metallic paint. BMW stated that the CFRP bonnet cut weight by 50 percent, added a central air vent to increase downforce and improve engine cooling, and paired it with a CFRP roof, exposed-carbon front splitter, Gurney spoiler lip, and rear diffuser.
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The M2 CS looks best when understood as a functional compression of BMW M visual language. It does not have the wide theatricality of an M4 GTS or the grandeur of an M5 CS. It is tighter, denser, and more street-fighter than grand machine. The bonnet is one of the key design elements. Its vent is not only a styling flourish; BMW tied it to downforce and engine-cooling benefit. The roof, meanwhile, lowers visual and physical mass, giving the compact coupe a more serious silhouette. A single public lead exterior designer for the F87 M2 CS warrants further verification. For archive safety, the design credit should remain institutional: BMW M / BMW Design.
Engineering

How was it engineered?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) uses the F87 rear-wheel-drive coupe architecture with S55 power, Active M Differential, Adaptive M suspension, M Sport brakes, and optional M Carbon ceramic brakes.

The M2 CS is engineered around a compact front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Its appeal is not theoretical. The front axle carries a straight-six, the rear axle receives the torque, the differential works actively, and the driver remains close to the mechanical conversation. BMW’s press kit lists Adaptive M suspension with Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes, M Sport brakes, optional M Carbon ceramic brakes, Active M Differential, and M Dynamic Mode as part of the M2 CS specification.
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The architecture is familiar, but the calibration is the art. The M2 CS does not have the largest BMW M body, nor the most power, nor the most exotic materials. Its strength lies in proportion. It also keeps the driver’s choice alive. BMW made the six-speed manual standard — the first time a BMW CS model had the manual as standard — while offering the seven-speed M DCT as an option. That choice defines the car’s dual identity. The manual is the memory car. The DCT is the lap-time car. Both belong to the M2 CS story.
Mythology & Meaning

What do people get wrong about it?

Common BMW M2 CS (F87) misconceptions concern production numbers, whether it is just an M2 Competition with carbon parts, whether all CS cars are automatic, and whether it is the same as the M2 CS Racing.

The M2 CS invites confusion because it lives close to several related cars: M2, M2 Competition, M2 CS Racing, and later G87 M2 CS. The names are similar; the details matter. The correct reading is precise: F87 M2 CS, S55, 450 hp, manual or M DCT, limited-run road car, not the racing car, not the later G87.
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“The M2 CS is just an M2 Competition with carbon trim.”
It uses more power, CS-specific carbon bodywork, adaptive suspension, Cup 2 tyres, specific seats, and CS positioning above the M2 Competition.verified
“All M2 CS cars were automatic.”
BMW made the six-speed manual standard and offered the seven-speed M DCT as an option.verified
“The M2 CS and M2 CS Racing are the same car.”
The M2 CS is the road car; the M2 CS Racing is a customer racing car derived from the road-car concept.verified
“The production number is perfectly settled by BMW’s original launch material.”
BMW presented it as a limited-run model, while later public production-data analysis reports 2,381 global examples after an earlier around-2,200 expectation.attributed
“The F87 M2 CS is the same generation as the 2025/2026 M2 CS.”
The F87 M2 CS is first-generation; the later M2 CS belongs to the G87 generation.verified
Timeline

How did it evolve?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) evolved from the original F87 M2 and M2 Competition, was revealed in 2019, and reached customers as the ultimate first-generation M2 road car.

  1. 2015

    F87 M2 production era begins

    BMW launches the first-generation M2 as a compact rear-wheel-drive M coupe.

  2. 2018

    M2 Competition arrives

    The M2 Competition introduces the S55 engine into the F87 M2 family.

  3. 2019

    M2 CS revealed

    BMW presents the M2 CS as a limited-run model above the M2 Competition.

  4. 2020

    M2 CS reaches customers

    The M2 CS becomes the ultimate road-going F87 M2 specification.

  5. 2020

    M2 CS Racing link

    BMW M Motorsport uses the M2 CS as the basis for the M2 CS Racing customer racing car.

  6. 2021

    F87 M2 generation closes

    The first-generation M2 family gives way to the later G87 generation.

  7. 2025

    G87 M2 CS announced

    BMW introduces the second-generation M2 CS, giving the F87 CS a predecessor role.

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The M2 CS appeared when the first F87 generation already had a loyal following. BMW did not need to explain why a small rear-drive M car mattered; the audience already knew. The M2 CS Racing connection arrived at the same time, strengthening the car’s motorsport-adjacent credibility. BMW M GmbH and BMW M Motorsport presented the road and racing cars together as “strong brothers.” The later G87 M2 CS created a new chapter, but it also changed the F87’s place in history. The F87 remains the manual-available, S55-powered compact CS of the first generation.
Provenance

Who has owned one?

No private famous owners of the BMW M2 CS (F87) should be listed without direct public documentation.

Birch Green BMW M2 CS
Reported as a one-off Individual-colour F87 M2 CS in production-data analysis.
attributed
2020 BMW M2 CS highest CLASSIC.COM sale
CLASSIC.COM lists a $162,500 highest recorded sale for a 2020 BMW M2 CS on March 8, 2022.
verified
BMW M2 CS Racing
Close-to-production customer racing derivative connected to the road M2 CS concept.
verified
↓ Read deeper
Claim: A single Birch Green F87 M2 CS is reported in production-data analysis and BMWBLOG coverage as a one-off Individual example. attributed Claim: CLASSIC.COM records a highest sale of $162,500 for a 2020 BMW M2 CS on March 8, 2022. verified Claim: The BMW M2 CS Racing is a notable public derivative because BMW M Motorsport describes it as a close-to-production customer racing vehicle. verified Claim: Private celebrity ownership should not be inferred without auction provenance, owner statement, or reputable documentation. verified
On Screen & In Games

Where have you seen it?

The exact BMW M2 CS (F87) does not have a major verified film or official game appearance in the reviewed sources.

🎮 Game · 2022verified
Gran Turismo 7
Official car list includes the related BMW M2 Competition ’18, not the exact F87 M2 CS.
🎮 Game · 2023verified
Forza Motorsport
Official car list includes the 2023 BMW M2, not the exact F87 M2 CS in the reviewed source.
🎬 Film · Unverifiedverified
Major film appearances
No major verified film role for the BMW M2 CS (F87) should be listed without direct production evidence.
Documentary · 2020–presentinterpretation
Enthusiast road-test media
Reviews, track tests and market videos form the main public screen history of the M2 CS.
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Claim: Gran Turismo 7 includes the BMW M2 Competition ’18. verified Claim: Forza Motorsport includes the 2023 BMW M2, not the exact F87 M2 CS in the reviewed official source. verified Claim: No major verified film role for the exact BMW M2 CS (F87) should be listed without direct evidence. verified The cultural importance of the M2 CS is therefore not cinematic. It is the culture of the driver’s car: reviews, track days, production registries, and the worship of a compact rear-drive coupe done correctly.
The Stories

What are the stories behind it?

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is notable for being the first compact-class BMW M CS model, the first manual-standard BMW CS model, the final high-performance F87 road car, and the basis for the M2 CS Racing.

The Compact CS First

verified

BMW presented the M2 CS as the first exclusive limited-run BMW M special-edition model in the premium compact class.

The Manual CS

verified

The M2 CS was the first BMW CS model with a six-speed manual gearbox fitted as standard.

The F87 Finale

interpretation

The M2 CS became the sharpest road-going expression of the first-generation F87 M2.

The Racing Brother

verified

BMW linked the M2 CS road car to the M2 CS Racing customer competition model.

The 2,381 Figure

attributed

Later public production-data analysis reports 2,381 F87 M2 CS examples worldwide.

↓ Read deeper
Story: BMW described the M2 CS as the first exclusive limited-run BMW M special-edition model in the premium compact class. verified Story: The six-speed manual was standard, making it the first BMW CS model with a manual gearbox fitted as standard. verified Story: BMW positioned the M2 CS above the M2 Competition with 40 hp more power and CS-specific carbon and chassis equipment. verified Story: The M2 CS served as the basis for the BMW M2 CS Racing. verified Story: Public production-data analysis reports 2,381 F87 M2 CS examples worldwide, more than the roughly 2,200-unit expectation often cited. attributed
Connected Graph

MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURED BYBMW
MANUFACTURERSTUB
MANUFACTURED BYBMW M GmbH
MANUFACTURERSTUB

ENGINE

POWERED BYS55
ENGINESTUB

CAR

EVOLUTION OFBMW M2 Competition
CARSTUB
PREDECESSOR OFBMW M2 CS Racing
CARSTUB
SPIRITUAL PREDECESSOR OFBMW 1 Series M Coupe
CARSTUB
SPIRITUAL PREDECESSOR OFBMW 2002 Turbo
CARSTUB

THEME

BELONGS TO THEMEBMW M3 CS
THEMESTUB
BELONGS TO THEMEBMW M4 CS
THEMESTUB
BELONGS TO THEMEMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
THEMESTUB
BELONGS TO THEMEGran Turismo 7
THEMESTUB
BELONGS TO THEMEForza Motorsport
THEMESTUB
Encyclopedia
16 sections
collector-market

What is it worth today?

Editorial inferenceas of 2026

As of July 2026, CLASSIC.COM lists the BMW M2 CS (F87) CMB at $84,937 and average sale price at $83,417.

As of July 2026, the M2 CS has already separated itself from ordinary F87 M2 market behaviour. It is newer than many accepted modern classics, but its ingredients are obvious: limited run, manual option, S55 engine, carbon details, and end-of-generation status. CLASSIC.COM lists the BMW M2 CS (F87) CMB at $84,937, average sale price at $83,417, highest recorded sale at $162,500, and lowest recorded sale at $59,500.
machine-avatar

What does it represent?

Editorial inference

As an Engine Sphere machine-avatar, the BMW M2 CS (F87) represents compact rear-drive M power, S55 torque, carbon restraint, manual choice, and end-of-generation focus.

The M2 CS avatar is a clenched fist in Misano Blue: short, wide, alert, and Bavarian to the bone. It does not need a giant wing or theatrical violence. Its power is density. Its face is familiar but harder. Its carbon roof lowers its centre of thought. Its bonnet breathes. Its rear tyres wait for instruction.
aerodynamics

How does it cut through air?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) uses exposed-carbon aerodynamic parts including a front splitter, Gurney boot-lid lip, rear diffuser, CFRP bonnet vent, and CFRP roof.

The M2 CS aerodynamic package is modest compared with a GT3-style supercar, but serious for a compact road coupe. It does not shout with a giant wing. It works through splitters, lips, diffuser surfaces, cooling vents, and carbon surfaces placed where BMW M wanted stability and identity. BMW’s press kit names the exposed-carbon front splitter, Gurney spoiler lip, rear diffuser, CFRP roof, and vented CFRP bonnet as defining CS features.
connected-entities

What does it connect to?

Editorial inference

No connected entities were recorded for BMW M2 CS (F87) in the supplied Engine Sphere prompt.

The supplied Engine Sphere prompt records no connected entities for BMW M2 CS (F87), so the graph relationships below should be treated as proposed additions rather than pre-existing links. Recommended graph links include BMW, BMW M GmbH, BMW M2, BMW M2 Competition, BMW M2 CS Racing, S55, BMW M3 CS, BMW M4 CS, BMW 1 Series M Coupe, BMW 2002 Turbo, BMW M4 CS, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, Nürburgring Nordschleife, and Leipzig.
dynamics

How does it drive?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is dynamically defined by rear-wheel drive, Adaptive M suspension, Active M Differential, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, forged 19-inch wheels, and compact proportions.

The M2 CS is not about maximum numbers. It is about how quickly a compact car can become serious when the right ingredients are placed close together. Rear drive, short wheelbase, Cup tyres, S55 torque, adaptive suspension, and a manual option make the car feel unusually concentrated. BMW fitted lightweight 19-inch Y-spoke forged wheels and specially adapted Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres as standard, placing the car’s dynamic emphasis clearly toward road-course grip and steering precision.
engine-powertrain

What powers it?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is powered by the S55 2,979 cc twin-turbocharged inline-six engine producing 331 kW / 450 hp and 550 Nm.

The heart of the M2 CS is the S55, the BMW M twin-turbo straight-six already familiar from the F80 M3 and F82 M4 family. In the smaller F87 body, it gives the M2 CS the character that many enthusiasts felt the original N55-powered M2 only hinted at. BMW lists the engine as a 3.0-litre M TwinPower Turbo inline-six producing 331 kW / 450 hp and 550 Nm, 40 hp more than the M2 Competition.
legacy

What did it leave behind?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is remembered as the ultimate road-going first-generation M2 and one of the most focused compact BMW M cars of its era.

The M2 CS legacy is already forming around one phrase: last of a kind. Not literally the last M car, nor the last M2, but one of the last compact M coupes to combine a powerful inline-six, rear-wheel drive, limited production, and a manual gearbox option in such a concentrated package. It will be remembered less as a numbers car and more as a proportion car. The size is right. The engine is right. The driveline is right. The timing was right.
interior-experience

What is it like inside?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) interior uses M4 CS-style lightweight M Sport seats, Merino leather and Alcantara trim, red contrast stitching, and an optional Alcantara M Sport steering wheel with red centre marker.

The cabin of the M2 CS keeps BMW’s compact-coupe practicality while adding enough theatre to make the car feel special. It remains a four-seat coupe in layout, but the front seats, Alcantara, red stitching, and carbon details move the atmosphere away from ordinary M2 ownership. BMW lists lightweight bucket-style M Sport seats from the M4 CS, integral head restraints with BMW M stripes, Merino leather and Alcantara backrests, red contrast stitching, and an optional Alcantara steering wheel with red centre marker.
motorsport-competition

Did it race?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is linked to motorsport through the BMW M2 CS Racing, a close-to-production customer racing car.

The M2 CS road car is not a racing car, but it has a direct motorsport sibling. That distinction matters. The road CS carries the spirit of club racing; the M2 CS Racing is the machine built to meet it. BMW M Motorsport describes the M2 CS Racing as a close-to-production customer racing vehicle with activity in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring, TC America, and other platforms.
performance-numbers

How fast is it?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) produces 331 kW / 450 hp, accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds with M DCT or 4.2 seconds with the manual, and reaches 280 km/h.

The M2 CS numbers are strong but not absurd. Its 450 hp output is now easily matched by modern performance cars, but its appeal lies in how that power sits inside a compact rear-drive coupe with a manual option and serious chassis hardware. BMW’s official specification gives 331 kW / 450 hp, 550 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds with M DCT, 4.2 seconds with the manual, and 280 km/h top speed with the standard M Driver’s Package.
ownership-reality

What is it like to own?

Editorial inference

Owning a BMW M2 CS (F87) requires attention to S55 maintenance, tyres, brakes, suspension, cooling, carbon body parts, service history, and modification status.

The M2 CS is usable enough to be driven regularly, but it is not an ordinary 2 Series. Its value is tied to specification and originality, and its performance hardware demands proper care. BMW equipped the car with Cup 2 tyres, adaptive suspension, M Sport brakes, optional carbon ceramics, and an S55 engine. Those parts make the car special, but also make maintenance and inspection more serious than on a standard coupe.
people-behind

Who built it?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) was created by BMW M GmbH as part of the F87 M2 programme, with specific individual design and engineering authorship requiring further verification.

The M2 CS is best credited to BMW M GmbH rather than to a single public author. Its character comes from an institution: the engineers, chassis tuners, engine specialists, designers, and product planners who understand what the M badge means at compact scale. A single publicly documented lead exterior designer for the F87 M2 CS warrants further verification. A single publicly documented chief engineer for the F87 M2 CS road car also warrants further verification.
pop-culture-sightings

What does it mean in culture?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is known in popular culture through enthusiast media, track tests, online reviews, collector discussions, and the broader F87 M2 digital presence rather than a major verified film role.

The M2 CS is a modern enthusiast-media car. Its mythology lives in comparison videos, road tests, track reviews, forum production-data threads, auction listings, and the continuing argument over whether it is the best modern BMW M car. The exact F87 M2 CS is not currently supported by a major verified film appearance or a major official game listing in the sources reviewed. The related BMW M2 Competition ’18 appears in Gran Turismo 7, and official Forza lists include newer BMW M2 entries, but the exact F87 M2 CS should not be substituted without evidence.
production-rarity

How rare is it?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) was a limited-run model, with public production-data analysis reporting 2,381 global examples.

BMW officially presented the M2 CS as an exclusive limited-run special-edition model. The exact final figure is more nuanced: BMW’s early communication was around 2,200 units, while later production-data analysis reported 2,381 cars delivered worldwide. BMWBLOG’s 2025 summary of production data reports 2,381 F87 M2 CS examples globally, with the United States receiving 621 cars and Germany 563. The same article identifies Misano Blue as the most common colour and Alpine White as the rarest standard colour.
rivals-comparisons

What did it compete against?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) competed with compact and mid-size performance cars such as the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS/GT4, Toyota GR Supra, Audi TT RS, Mercedes-AMG A45 S, BMW M4, and Alpine A110.

The M2 CS sits in an unusual rivalry set. It is not a pure mid-engine sports car like a Cayman GT4, not a hot hatch like an A45 S, not a larger M4, and not a retro-lightweight like an Alpine A110. It is a compact front-engine, rear-drive M coupe with a real engine, real tyres, and real edge. Against the Cayman GT4, it is less exotic in layout but more everyday practical. Against the Supra, it is more M-car serious and more track-focused. Against the M4, it is smaller and more concentrated.
variants-editions

What versions were made?

Editorial inference

The BMW M2 CS (F87) is the CS special version of the F87 M2 family and is closely related to the M2 Competition and M2 CS Racing.

The F87 M2 family is best understood in steps. The original M2 introduced the compact modern M idea. The M2 Competition brought the S55 engine. The M2 CS sharpened the road car. The M2 CS Racing took the idea into customer motorsport. BMW described the M2 CS as the basis for the M2 CS Racing, while BMW M Motorsport describes the M2 CS Racing as a close-to-production customer racing car and an entry gateway to racing.
Sources & Confidence
The M2 CS is relatively recent and well covered, but precision matters. BMW official sources should be used for specifications, equipment, performance, and the M2 CS Racing connection. Production totals should be treated carefully because public figures come from later data analysis rather than the launch press kit. The 27-section structure, graph-connection requirement, and metadata schema for this entry come from the supplied Engine Sphere prompt.
Questions readers ask

What engine does the BMW M2 CS F87 use?

It uses the S55 2,979 cc twin-turbocharged inline-six.

How much power does the BMW M2 CS F87 make?

BMW lists the M2 CS at 331 kW / 450 hp and 550 Nm.

Is the BMW M2 CS F87 manual?

Yes. The six-speed manual gearbox was standard, and the seven-speed M DCT was optional.

How fast is the BMW M2 CS F87?

BMW lists 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds with M DCT, 4.2 seconds with the manual, and 280 km/h top speed.

What does CS mean on the BMW M2 CS?

CS means Competition Sport in BMW M usage.

How many BMW M2 CS F87 cars were built?

Public production-data analysis reports 2,381 global examples; the figure should be treated as attributed unless confirmed by a direct BMW factory total.

Is the BMW M2 CS the same as the M2 CS Racing?

No. The M2 CS is the road car; the M2 CS Racing is the customer racing version.

Is the BMW M2 CS F87 collectible?

Yes. Its limited production, S55 engine, manual availability, carbon parts and end-of-generation status make it a modern BMW M collectible.